Cave of Machpelah Mezuzah Vandalized Yet Again.

For the second time in less than a month, Muslims tore out a Mezuzah from a door at the sacred and hotly contested Cave of Machpelah, the holy resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs.

The vandalism took place at a time when the cave was open only to Muslims. It was documented by security cameras that are operated by Border Police at the holy site.

Police detained several suspects who were near the Mezuzah when it was vandalized.

Security forces assured the Jewish community who frequent the Cave that they would make an effort to step up security during the days in which the Cave is open only to Muslims. These extra measures are intended as a message that vandalism will not be tolerated.

A similar act of desecration took place at the site in mid-July, during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Jewish worshipers who arrived at the Cave of Patriarchs after Muslim prayers on Friday were horrified to find that the site had been vandalized.

Two mezuzot had been torn off and stolen, and a third was damaged. Muslim worshipers have a history of vandalism at the holy site, and it’s not limited to mezuzot, throwing mud, littering garbage and uprooting parts of the cave garden are just a few examples of recent incidents.